NCERT takes "Khalistan" References Out from Political Science Textbook for Class 12, after SGPC Objections

The National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has removed references to the "Khalistan" movement from its Class 12 political science textbooks.

on May 31, 2023

NCERT takes "Khalistan" References Out from Political Science Textbook for Class 12, after SGPC Objections | Frontlist

The Anandpur Sahib Resolution, a list of demands made by the Akali Dal in 1973, was misrepresented in textbooks, according to the SGPC. NCERT has released a corrigendum and amended the online materials.

New Delhi: The National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has removed references to the "Khalistan" movement from its Class 12 political science textbooks, two months after other "revisions" to the board's history syllabus sparked a major political uproar.

At a news conference held on Tuesday to announce the most recent round of revisions, Sanjay Kumar, secretary for the Union department of school education and literacy, stated that the decision had been made at the request of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC).

The SGPC, Punjab's top gurdwara administration organisation, requested that "objectionable content" degrading Sikhs be removed in its submission to the board.

According to Kumar, a sentence listing the Anandpur Sahib Resolution of 1973 has undergone revisions. Words like "creation of a separate Sikh nation" have also been deleted.

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) proposed the Anandpur Sahib Resolution, which calls for increased state authority, greater autonomy for the state of Punjab, and recognition of Sikhism as a distinct religion from Hinduism.

According to Kumar, the NCERT established a team to look into the demands of the SGPC, and the adjustments were based on its recommendations.

"The NCERT has issued a corrigendum and the correction has been made in textbooks available online," Kumar added. "The books have already been printed and are out for distribution."

Less than two months ago, NCERT's "revisions" to its curriculum, which included changes to its history and political science textbooks, sparked a significant uproar.

The central education board's decision to remove some material about the Mughals and the Gujarat riots in 2002 was one of the revisions that attracted the most criticism.
The NCERT defended its decision by claiming that it was an effort to 'rationalise' the curriculum to help bring down the burden on students.